The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was partially restored for vehicular traffic on Sunday after a whiteout caused complete disruptions on Friday. The blockade, which continued for two consecutive days, ended following sustained clearance operations at important junctions and the removal of accumulated snow from the road surface.
Efforts to clear vehicles that remained stranded between the Navyug Tunnel and Nashri Tunnel were actively underway, officials said.
However, the historic Mughal Road, which serves as the primary alternative route to the Jammu-Srinagar highway, remained closed for the second consecutive day due to heavy snow accumulation and ongoing avalanche risks. The Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri (SSG) Road and Sinthan Road were also closed to traffic amid adverse weather conditions and high-danger avalanche warnings issued by the Meteorological Department.
Avalanche alerts —
High-danger avalanche alerts have been issued across six districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Residents living in avalanche-prone areas have been strongly advised to stay indoors and avoid all unnecessary movement until there is a noticeable improvement in the weather conditions.
The Traffic Department of Jammu and Kashmir urged all travellers to plan their journeys carefully and avoid paying heed to unverified rumours, which could put commuters’ lives at serious risk.
The department further stated on Sunday that those planning to travel to or from Srinagar must contact the Traffic Control Units in Jammu, Srinagar, or Ramban to obtain the latest road status updates before commencing any journey. While most inter-district highways within the Union Territory have now been cleared for traffic, the upper reaches of the north and central Kashmir districts remain shut to vehicular movement amid persistent adverse weather conditions.
Operations at Srinagar International Airport continued smoothly on Sunday, although authorities at the airport and ground staff members of various airlines cautioned that “some flights may still experience delays”. The latest advisory on Sunday came after Srinagar airport received minor fresh snowfall overnight, and passengers have been instructed to check their flight status and schedule directly with their respective airlines before arriving at the airport.
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